College Students Must Ace Exam for Peer-to-Peer Access

University uses test as alternative to taking away access.

Students at Missouri University of Science and Technology have to know digital copyright law if they want to access peer-to-peer file sharing.

According to the Associated Press, the university mandates that students must correctly answer six questions about digital copyright law to gain six hours of access.

The tests were implemented to prevent piracy and copyright violations and were designed as an alternative to taking away access, university representatives said.

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Even if they know the laws, students are limited to eight uses of P2P software each month during the academic year, and they must pass the test each time they want access.

Tim Doty, a campus systems security analyst at Missouri University of Science and Technology, told the Associated Press the exam appears to be the first such test on a U.S. campus. He said it cut complaints from the recording industry from 200 during the 2006-2007 school year to eight in the 2007-2008 school year.